US: Trump orders ICE agents to airports amid budget standoff
March 22, 2026
US President Donald Trump announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be sent to US airports on Monday to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff.
"On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday.
Like ICE, the Transportation Security Administration falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is responsible for passenger security screening at airports.
Budget standoff over immigration crackdown
The DHS has been operating without funding since February 14, as Democratic lawmakers demand reforms in the wake of Trump's deadly immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Democrats have demanded shorter patrols, a ban on face masks, and a requirement that ICE agents obtain a judicial warrant before entering private property.
Because of the shutdown, TSA agents have have worked for weeks without pay. Many of them begun calling out of work, which has prompted soaring wait times at screening lines, sometimes as long as several hours.
According to the DHS, more than 300 TSA employees have quit since the shutdown began on February 14. Some officers have taken on second jobs or are relying on donations, according to union officials.
How can ICE agents help the TSA?
Tom Homan, the president's senior border aide, told CNN that ICE agents would not be performing jobs at the airports for which they are not trained.
"I don't see an ICE agent looking at an x-ray machine, because you're not trained in that," he said. Instead, the agents will provide extra security wherever needed, such as monitoring exits.
"We'll put together a plan today, and we'll execute tomorrow," Homan said.
Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Sunday that he believes the situation will "get much worse" in the coming days. "As it gets worse, I think that puts pressure on the Congress to come to a resolution," he told ABC.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah